Friday, October 24, 2014

Superior Marking Gauge

Hi Folks
A project I've been working on over the last couple of years has been a traditional marking gauge, one that incorporates all the details that I like in a gauge. I've made numerous prototypes and have dragged them round the woodwork shows and shown them to many people for feedback. I'm pleased to say that I am finally completely happy with the design (and manufacturing!) and can finally reveal the beasty in all its true glory - the Superior Marking Gauge!

The initial batch has been made from my stash of Rosewood - combined with brass and steel it looks timeless and glorious and hits all the woodworking "ooh" spots. It has a few tricks up its sleeve. It comes with a pin for everyday marking out, the wide face of the gauge giving plenty of bearing surface to work against. I also like a knife or cutting gauge when working across the grain and when working with veneered pieces so you can swap the pin out for the supplied knife. And finally, a pencil gauge is great for when you want a legible mark without actually damaging the surface - swap ends on the shaft of the gauge and it becomes a pencil gauge.

One other detail that has annoyed me on other gauges I own and have tried is the locking mechanism. You want to be able to lock the gauge off firmly but also to be able to adjust it easily and accurately. My patent pending mechanism makes this a pleasure to do and there is no separate "foot" to loose if you dissemble the gauge.

The gauge is priced at £89.99 plus shipping - drop me an email at phillyplanes@gmail.com to place an order.

Just my 2c:- The locking knob on the side is one of the most criticized features in the Clenton gauge. Or maybe, most people lack your dexterity, guys... :-)- The loose "foot" most gauges have is really annoying and needed some extra attention, good thinking. Or... just take away the need to remove the stock... Seriously, to me, most people will end up needing more than one gauge at the same time, no matter what the scribing method. I own a couple of cutting gauges, one pencil gauge and zero pinned ones, I don't see the point, pun intended... So why bother with the multi- feature?- I promise to buy yours just to check the "smooth" transition between locked and adjustable. This is usually more fidly than it needs to be and no, I don't think that the micro-adjustable double-screw design on Drake and Veritas gauges is the better answer. I wonder... maybe if the face of the square hole (we don't call that a mortise, do we?) opposing the lock knob wasn't a face at all, but an edge between 2 sub-faces... wouldn't that also help things moving and adjusting smoother? Plus you get to fiddle with the angle of the 2 sub-faces, at design time, I mean... :-)